Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday, August 16, 2026, for a four-day official visit to Nepal aimed at deepening the close defence cooperation and long-standing military-to-military ties between the two countries. Seth landed at Tribhuvan International Airport at 4:15 pm on an Air India flight, where he was received by senior Nepali Army officials. This marks his first overseas visit since taking charge as the 31st Chief of the Indian Army on June 30, 2026.
A Tradition Seven Decades in the Making
The visit comes at the invitation of Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Sigdel and continues a tradition, dating back to 1950, under which India and Nepal confer the honorary rank of General on each other’s army chiefs. Sigdel himself was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army by Indian President Droupadi Murmu in December 2024.
Seth is the first senior Indian official to visit Nepal since the formation of the Balendra Shah government on March 27, and his trip follows the postponement of an earlier planned visit by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri over protocol-related issues.
Day One: Arrival in Kathmandu
On his arrival evening, General Seth’s schedule included ceremonial engagements befitting the visit’s stature. He was slated to lay a wreath at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel, the ceremonial ground in the heart of Kathmandu, and hold talks with General Sigdel. Seth was accompanied by a five-member delegation, including Komal Seth, Chairperson of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) of the Indian Army, and the delegation was welcomed by Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Pradeep Jung K.C.
Day Two: The Honorary Investiture
The centrepiece of the visit takes place on Monday, August 17, when President Ram Chandra Paudel will confer upon General Seth the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army at a special ceremony at Sheetal Niwas. The same day, General Seth will also receive a Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters and be briefed by Nepal’s Director General of Military Operations on issues of mutual interest.
During his stay, Seth is expected to hold meetings with Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who also oversees the Defence Ministry, alongside General Sigdel and other senior officials — though Nepali officials note it remains unclear whether the meeting with the Prime Minister will be confirmed.
Days Three and Four: Shivapuri and Pokhara
Later in the visit, General Seth is scheduled to address student officers at the Army Command and Staff Course in Shivapuri, on the northern edge of Kathmandu, and interact with instructors and foreign officers training there. The visit is expected to conclude with an Ex-Servicemen Rally in Pokhara, where he will felicitate Veer Naris (war widows) and Gallantry Award recipients and interact with the Indian Army veteran community in Nepal, before returning to India.
Strategic Undertones
Beyond the ceremonial aspects, the visit carries strategic weight. Gorkha recruitment under India’s Agnipath scheme is expected to be a key talking point, amid renewed calls in Nepal for the resumption of traditional Gorkha recruitment into the Indian Army. Officials on both sides have described the trip as an opportunity to reaffirm the deep-rooted historical, cultural and military ties between the two neighbours, often described through the enduring “Roti Beti Ka Rishta.”
